Chapter 10 What Does 'Er Shao' Mean?

Brushing past Lin Tianze's shoulder, Su Fanxing momentarily pushed Lin Tianyu to stand beside Liu Yaqin.

It was not to seek a better angle to rest, but this was the Eldest Young Master of the Lin family—his status couldn't be handled carelessly, not even in the slightest.

"Are you okay?"

She asked nonchalantly, pretending the inquiry was accidental, and didn't expect that Lin Tianyu would actually give a slight nod.

This blockhead suddenly showed some response; it indeed looked a bit odd.

Su Fanxing's lips curled into a smile as she turned her head, meeting Liu Yaqin's gaze.

Compared to her previous indifference and disdain, now her eyes were mixed with suspicion and doubt.

No wonder Lin Tianze had just made such a statement; the crux of the matter lay here.

Su Fanxing then stood up, swiftly taking a seat next to Lin Tianyu.

She picked up the teacup on the table and slowly filled it, but didn't drink.

"Second Young Master, the words you just spoke really could cause misunderstandings. People who don't know better might think you fancy me."

Hearing this, Lin Tianyu's expression turned stern, and looking over at Lin Tianze, he still wore a look of heartache.

"Xinuo, what you just said, doesn't it seem a bit hurtful? I..."

"Second Young Master, I just think you shouldn't be provoked by your brother's marriage. I am your sister-in-law, and your affections clearly lie elsewhere."

Ji Huan, who initially sat diagonally across from Old Madam, dropped her fruit onto the plate upon hearing this, her demeanor carrying a hint of discomfort.

If Old Madam weren't here now, she would have found a way to drive these two out.

But at this moment, she couldn't.

Mrs. Lin Sr. was a young widow whose husband had perished, and she chose not to remarry but resolutely remained a widow.

A young woman in those times would be slandered and spat upon, enough gossip to drown a person.

Yet Liu Yaqin had endured through it all, single-handedly establishing the Lin Group, raising Lin Tianyu's father, her decisive and forceful methods as well as her shrewd and ruthless judgment of character helped cement the Lin family's status today.

It was only in recent years, after she had stepped back from the enterprise, that her temperament had somewhat softened.

The eldest son of the Lin family had lost his mother early, and thus was primarily raised by the Old Madam, who held a deep affection for her eldest grandson, loving him dearly.

That was precisely why Ji Huan dared not step forward; it was because not long after Lin Tianyu's mother had died, she married into the family and soon gave birth to Lin Tianze.

To the later daughter-in-law, Old Madam had always felt she had no genuine talent or learning; she only climbed her way up with a pretty face and seductive wiles.

Luckily, Lin Tianze was articulate and good at reading people; he knew how to keep Old Madam from being too repulsed.

At the end of the day, he was still Lin family blood, but of course, he couldn't compare to Lin Tianyu, whom she had raised herself.

Fearing that under such circumstances, Su Fanxing might act desperately and reveal the truth, she had no choice but to first admonish her own son.

"Tianze, you must not speak recklessly; Xinuo is your sister-in-law. Is her name something you can casually call?"

Watching the glance passed from Ji Huan, Lin Tianze clenched his fists, clearly unwilling, but said nothing more.

That side of the argument subsided, but Su Fanxing had no intention of letting the matter drop.

How could she simply retract once her ire had been raised?

She handed the now lukewarm tea to Lin Tianyu, who took it in stride.

Indeed, this matched Su Fanxing's inner thoughts. No matter how broken their relationship was, when facing others, it was still better to present a united front.

Although he wouldn't say anything, he also wouldn't let the woman by his side lose face in this situation.

"Second Young Master, to tell the truth, I really didn't expect you to be this kind of person."

Lin Tianyu lowered his head and took a light sip of his tea, hiding the hint of a smirk that played at the corner of his mouth.

"Xinuo, what do you mean by that?"

The one who spoke wasn't Lin Tianze, but Ji Huan.

No longer caring about Old Madam, he stood up with a protective stance.

This subconscious action elicited a merciless sneer from Lin Tianyu.

"What I mean is that you clearly liked someone else, and even asked me for help in pursuing them, so how could your affections shift so quickly to another?"

Su Fanxing stood up, her face was smiling with disappointment, but her eyes were cold.

When Lin Tianze and Su Xinuo had met abroad years ago, and as they had been studying abroad since then, the Lin family wasn't very clear on the details between the two.

Clearly, this was digging one's own grave.

"So Second Young Master, what exactly did you mean by what you just said? Were you trying to embarrass me? Or is it that you're not faithful in your feelings?"

The voices in the room suddenly dropped, and several people looked at each other, each strategizing.

"Sister-in-law, that's obviously not what I meant, I..."

Lin Tianze hadn't expected Su Fanxing to shift the topic so swiftly; he had intended to set up a scene for Lin Tianyu and his fake wife but ended up being outmaneuvered.

"Alright, I'll take that 'sister-in-law' from you, Second Young Master."

Only then did a smile appear in Su Fanxing's eyes as she resettled herself next to Lin Tianyu and provocatively raised an eyebrow at him.

The meaning was clear, a mix of pride and proving the point she had just made.

"Alright, alright, Tianyu has finally come home after so long, let's not make it so gloomy and tense,"

At that moment, Mrs. Lin Sr. tapped her cane, drawing this matter to a conclusion.

She was somewhat skeptical about the whole affair, but for this new granddaughter-in-law, she had developed a slightly different view.

In Old Madam's eyes, the least admirable were those who climbed ranks based solely on looks, those who appeared gentle to others but were scheming and calculating behind the scenes.

However, this granddaughter-in-law had stood her ground in front of everyone, and just for that, she was quite commendable.

Realizing that Old Madam had let the matter go, Ji Huan gave Lin Tianze a meaningful look, and both mother and son tactfully refrained from bringing it up again.

"Tianyu."

Hearing Old Madam call him gently, Lin Tianyu's expression subtly changed, and he turned around.

This was probably the only person in the entire villa who could shift Lin Tianyu from indifference to a more engaged attitude.

"How's the situation at the company lately? Can you handle it all by yourself?"

"Don't worry."

A brief reply, and nothing more was said.

Ji Huan sat to one side, picking at her palm with her fingernail and rubbing her teeth as a thought suddenly struck her.

"Mom, why don't we let Xinuo take a position at the company? What do you think? Having her assist Tianyu, we wouldn't have to worry about anyone deliberately making things difficult. After all, she's a Lin family daughter-in-law now; it's only proper for her to help out at the company."